Wikipedia is neutral, says co-founder

At the country's first-ever Wikiconference held in Mumbai, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales on Saturday said the website does not take sides. He was reacting to protests against "illegal" depiction of the map of India on the site.

MUMBAI: At the country's first-ever Wikiconference held in Mumbai, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales on Saturday said the website does not take sides. He was reacting to protests against "illegal" depiction of the map of India on the site.

"It is important that Wikipedia stays neutral and for that we must learn about what the opponent's believe," the 45-year-old American entrepreneur told a gathering at Mumbai University's Convocation Hall. BJP's youth wing members protested against a map on Wikipedia showing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir coloured green and Arunachal Pradesh in red.

"A one-sided map is a mistake, which is why we involve contributors from everywhere to edit the content on the site," said Wales. The Wikimedia websites display over 3,200 maps of India, all of which have been uploaded by contributors.

In his keynote address, Wales invited Indians to write articles for more than 20 Indian language Wikipedias that exist but need improvement. TNN